Bamboo Extract Boosts Bone Growth Through Key Signaling Pathways

Greg Howard
1st October, 2025

Bamboo Extract Boosts Bone Growth Through Key Signaling Pathways

Scientists are studying how an extract from bamboo, long used in traditional medicine, can stimulate key factors involved in bone growth.

Photo by: Alexander Wentworth / CC BY (Source)

Key Findings

  • This study, conducted on adolescent rats, investigated bamboo extract (PCE) for its potential to enhance bone growth
  • A higher dose (400 mg/kg) of PCE significantly increased levels of growth-related factors—GH, IGF-1, IGFBP3, and osteocalcin—in the rats’ blood
  • PCE appears to stimulate bone growth by activating a key signaling pathway (JAK2/STAT5) in the liver, boosting IGF-1 production
Childhood growth relies on a complex interplay of hormones and biological processes, with adequate bone growth being a key indicator of overall health. Problems with growth can stem from issues within the growth hormone (GH)-insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I axis, a system crucial for stimulating growth[2]. This axis is responsible for promoting cell growth, division, and preventing cell death, and monitoring its components – particularly IGF-I and IGFBP-3 – can help doctors assess growth-related problems and manage treatments[2]. Researchers at Chung-Ang University, alongside collaborators from the Korea Medicine Research Institute, Chaon Co., Ltd., Cairo University, Ataturk University, and Kenyatta University, have been investigating potential natural compounds that could influence this growth pathway. A recent study[1] explored the effects of an extract from Phyllostachyos Caulis in Taeniam (PCE), a type of bamboo, on bone growth in adolescent rats. The researchers divided 28 rats into four groups: a control group, a group receiving recombinant human growth hormone (rhGH), and two groups receiving different doses of PCE (200 mg/kg and 400 mg/kg). After ten days, they measured several factors related to growth, including hormone levels in the blood, bone length, and gene activity in the liver. The results showed that the higher dose of PCE (400 mg/kg) had a significant impact on growth. It substantially increased levels of GH, IGF-1, IGFBP3, and osteocalcin – a protein involved in bone formation – in the rats’ blood. Importantly, this dose also led to a measurable increase in the length of the tibia, a bone in the lower leg. These findings suggest that PCE could potentially stimulate bone growth. To understand how PCE might be working, the researchers looked at what was happening at a cellular level. They examined gene expression in the liver, finding that PCE significantly increased the production of both IGF-1 and IGFBP3 mRNA. mRNA acts as a template for protein production, so increased mRNA levels indicate increased production of these proteins. They also used a technique called western blotting to measure protein levels and activity. This revealed that PCE boosted IGF-1 protein levels in the liver and activated two key proteins, JAK2 and STAT5. JAK2 and STAT5 are part of a signaling pathway – a chain of events within cells – that is activated by growth hormone[3]. When GH binds to its receptor, it triggers this pathway, ultimately leading to increased IGF-1 production and growth. The study demonstrated that PCE appeared to enhance this pathway, increasing the activity of both JAK2 and STAT5. This suggests that PCE’s effect on growth is likely mediated by the GH-IGF-1 axis. Historically, understanding the regulation of GH secretion has focused on hormones released by the hypothalamus, like GHRH and somatostatin[4]. However, research has expanded to include other factors, such as GH-releasing peptides and PACAP, highlighting the complexity of the system[4]. The current study doesn’t directly address these other regulatory factors, but it adds to the growing understanding of how different signals can influence the GH-IGF-1 axis and ultimately impact growth. Furthermore, the study’s findings are relevant to understanding conditions where the GH-IGF-1 axis is impaired. Genetic defects affecting components of this axis, such as mutations in the GH receptor or IGF-1 itself, can lead to growth failure[3]. While PCE isn’t a cure for these genetic conditions, understanding how to stimulate the GH-IGF-1 pathway could offer potential therapeutic strategies. The study provides evidence that natural compounds like PCE may offer a way to enhance this pathway and promote growth.

HerbsMedicineBiochem

References

Main Study

1) Phyllostachyos Caulis in Taeniam extract stimulates longitudinal bone growth via IGF-1 and JAK2/STAT5 signaling in rats

Published 30th September, 2025

https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0331834

Related Studies

2) The growth hormone-insulin-like growth factor-I axis in the diagnosis and treatment of growth disorders.

https://doi.org/10.1530/EC-18-0099

3) Evidence for a continuum of genetic, phenotypic, and biochemical abnormalities in children with growth hormone insensitivity.

https://doi.org/10.1210/er.2010-0023

4) Pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide, growth hormone (GH)-releasing peptide and GH-releasing hormone stimulate GH release through distinct pituitary receptors.

Journal: Endocrinology, Issue: Vol 130, Issue 2, Feb 1992


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